The proposed study will attempt to identify the strains and conflicts that occur when the elderly live together in the same household with their children. It will also attempt to assess the scope and nature of maltreatment that elderly suffer when these conflicts become severe. It represents the first large scale study to use a random sample household survey to examine the problem. This kind of approach is essential to studying the problem because the vast majority of maltreatment never comes to the attention of professionals and agencies. The study will survey a sample of 2000 families in the Boston metropolitan area where an elderly person is residing with a child. In half the families, the elderly person will be interviewed, in another half one of the children. It is anticipated in this way to identify at least 100 cases of maltreatment. Answers will be sought to questions in four major areas: 1) What are the major sources of strain in families where elderly are living? 2) How frequently are elderly members of these families subjected to four major kinds of maltreatment: physical violence, chronic verbal aggression, instrumental physical force and deprivation of necessities? 3) Under what circumstances, how often, by whom and with what effect does such maltreatment occur? 4) What kinds of families are most likely to maltreat and what kinds of elderly are most likely to be maltreated? This study will be of immense value to policy makers, professionals, families and the elderly themselves. Policy makers will get information about whether the problem of elderly maltreatment is large enough to warrant a large scale mobilization of resources. Professionals will get information about the kinds of family situations in which elderly are at high risk. The public at large will have their attention brought to the problem and this should result in more case identification and other kinds of informal help for the vulnerable elderly.